Can anyone explain how Roy Jones Jr became a heavyweight champ when

He became a beltholder, not a champ.

 

I don't think anyone (at least not many) considered Roy the HW champ back then. He clearly only took advantage of a weak WBA beltholder, like there have been many in the last 10/11 years.

 

hhhmmmm.... he beat ruiz for the wba belt. is this a trick question?

 

He wasn't the lineal heavyweight champion and no one on here is saying he was. He was however the WBA Heavyweight champion of the world and for a middle weight that's a great achievement, so just give the guy his ****ing credit would you

 

Well according to you, the same thing applies to Haye, he should have never won the title because Wlad won it from Chageav so Valuev shouldn't have had it in the first place.

 

That just about sums it up.
But the WBA would have made another "World Title" belt anyway, so history would not have been that different anyway. :yep

 

Look, the men that "won" the title get to be called champ. Boxing politics has always played a hand. Seriously, just get over yourself and recognize the current champions that hold belts. You are splitting hairs over things that only you recognize.

Men like John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, etc, etc are champs (unfortunately). They held belts in major organizations, therefore champion.

If you looked at the heavyweight lineage you'd see other breaks as well. Rocky Marciano retired undefeated with the lineal title. He never lost yet a lineage followed after him.

 

should be 1belt/division.. we would'nt need to even discuss this. Roy had a made up belt, Lewis was the undisputed champion.







not taking anything away from Roy, it's a fact.. great achievement though

 

Hell no. Lennox was the champ, and Ruiz only had the belt due to politics, Don King and the bull**** WBA (Worthless Bull**** Association).

Ruiz and Haye were both paper champions who had no chance of beating the real champ at the time.

Roy was smart enough to take on the vulnerable Ruiz knowing that he had zero chance of beating Lennox Lewis.

Can't blame the guy for jumping on that opportunity.

 

The thing is that Roy went from Middleweight belt holder to a Heavyweight belt holder. The only person alive to do so.(I think Toney got robbed in a HW title fight) Heck of a feat.

 

Roys behavior was disgusting in that fight. Ruiz was just trying to give him a hug and Roy ran away for all 12 rounds while punching him in the face.

 

You only need 3 of the 4 major belts to become Undisputed so yes Lennox was but Jones was also a champ. Just like wlad is officially Undisputed and Vitali is a also a beltholder